


When Skies Are Grey

by CycloneRachel



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: (for now) - Freeform, Canon Compliant, Comfort/Angst, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Friendship, Gen, Hugs, One Shot, Originally Posted on Tumblr, discussion of events from 4x02, mentions of Kara Danvers, takes place between 4x03 and 4x04
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-08-14 11:56:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16492124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CycloneRachel/pseuds/CycloneRachel
Summary: prompt from tumblr user peskyshortcake: "Brainy and anyone + "You're a terrible liar""





	When Skies Are Grey

Kara still wasn’t waking up, and Alex noticed that Brainy looked lonelier than ever.

As she watched him, following Kara’s fall, she saw he seemed lost in his work, not looking up or moving from his chair while he did so. She stayed at the DEO longer than usual, just to keep an eye on Brainy, because she was so concerned about him, and as she did so, she noticed he never took breaks.

He was supposed to, of course, she’d built time into his schedule for meals and rest if such was necessary (and if Winn was any indication, it was), but he never took advantage of that.

It was like he was an actual robot, for once. Alex had stopped thinking of him as a robot, especially after seeing him in his human form for so long, but he’d returned to those mannerisms, just as he had when he’d first arrived in the twenty-first century. And seeing as how he had been slowly making progress with interacting with others, watching him slip back into isolation was like seeing him walk backwards, and Alex had to speak up about that.

Even if it was even hard for her to do so.

“Hey, Brainy.” Alex says, after the light has faded from the sky outside. “You doing alright?”

She thinks of putting her hand on his shoulder, or even giving him a quick backrub to relieve the tension from his shoulders, but she doesn’t know how he’d react to that, so she keeps her hands off of him for the time being.

“I am fine, Director.” He answers. “Just following your orders. Staying out of trouble, I believed you’d called it? I could not be getting into less trouble here.”

“No, you couldn’t have.” Alex tells him. “And you’re doing great. So, I think that all of that deserves a reward, right?”

Brainy doesn’t turn around as he speaks to her.

“I do not.” He answers. “I work for you- I am only doing my job. That is no cause for such a reward, as you put it.”

Alex’s heart hurt for him, as she sat down there alongside him.

“Brainy, it’s okay.” She says. “Everyone else has gone home by now. You’re allowed to rest, just like the rest of them.”

“I require far less sleep than humans do.” He answers, automatically. “Therefore, I should be productive with all of that time.”

“Maybe… but, even though I’m your boss, I’m also your friend. And I want you to take care of yourself, and be happy.”

Brainy paused, shutting his eyes tight, as if he was imagining that exact thing. But almost instantly afterwards, his eyes opened, and he shook his head.

“Believe me, Director Danvers. Happiness is not something that comes easily to someone like myself.”

Again, she wished she could hug him. He didn’t look upset, not at all- the opposite, in fact. He looked, and acted, as though nothing had happened to him.

Like someone hadn’t swung a baseball bat at his head a week ago, just because of what he looked like.

He’d confided in her, then, and she thought things were okay. She’d believed, almost foolishly, that he was alright, and everything would go back to normal.

And, if she took what he’d said at face value, they had. Things would be okay.

But Kara had fallen from the sky, and remained comatose, and they weren’t.

 _Kara…_ the person on both of their minds. Especially at that moment, as things were starting to fall into place before Alex’s eyes, and when she looked at Brainy’s distant, despondent expression, it was as if she’d been transported into the past, and she was looking at Kara again. Kara when she first came to Earth, when she’d lost her whole world and was hiding away from everyone, only hoping she was dreaming and that she would wake up on Krypton again.

But when Kara opened her eyes, and saw Alex, she realized it was all too terribly real, and slowly, she’d come to terms with that. Eventually, she’d come to feel more human, even though at home she still reminded Alex that she wasn’t at home at all.

Alex had found that annoying at the time, but later, she’d come to appreciate it. Appreciate her sister, and where she’d come from, even though it had taken far too long for her to actually do so.

Even though it was still hard sometimes, when reminders of Kara’s history intruded on their lives.

And, in this case, when another socially-awkward alien arrived, and Alex found herself having to learn to get along with someone much like the new-to-Earth version of her sister all over again.

She had believed she could get used to Brainy, as well, as she’d had that experience, but apparently Colu didn’t raise their children like Krypton had, and her only option was to learn that part of his origins- whether or not he’d be eager to share them with her.

“Brainy?” she says, after a lengthy period of silence. “What you went through, at the pizza place. Has anyone else ever treated you like that before?”

“I told you.” He answers, voice edged in steel. “Prejudice against aliens does not exist in the thirty-first century. On some planets, it is still a prominent issue, but not on Earth, where aliens live openly alongside aliens without any opposition. And given that the Legion has its headquarters on this very planet, we accept anyone who is willing to help us. In short, my answer is only one word, and that is: No.”

“You’re a terrible liar.”

Brainy’s response is quick, and abrupt: he swivels in his chair, and faces her, questioning her with his eyes.

“What?”

“You heard me.” Alex says, glad that she’s gotten a reaction from him. It feels like opening a door, to a conversation that she can use better- both to learn more about him, and to help a friend who clearly looks like he’s been through his share of distress.

Her voice lowers, and she hopes she’s coming across more gently, as she speaks to him.

“Brainy, you can be honest with me.” She answers. “Just like when we talked earlier. I’m not going to judge if you tell me what’s bothering you.”

Brainy sighs, lowering his head as he turns off his image inducer, before speaking up again.

“I… life was not easy, growing up where I did.” He answers. “With the family I had. Imagine if you were the sole descendant of some terrible world leader, and you had no option of ever changing your name, or shaking that reputation- because everyone saw it on your face.”

“Brainiac 5.” Alex murmurs. “I’m sorry. I never really considered…”

“It is alright. Nobody really does.” Brainy answers. “So you can imagine when I got to Earth, where all of Brainiac’s crimes against humanity were wiped out by the great crisis, I was pleased to know that nobody would hate me for being the Brainiac heir. And once I discovered there was someone who wanted to put together a team, of people who would protect Earth- who was the sole heir of a king and queen who’d tried to take it over- you may be able to understand why I accepted his leadership, and was proud to stand by his side.”

“Right.” Alex says. “Of course.”

“So, then, once I took up residence here, I was perhaps expecting people to, again, dislike me because I wore the symbol of Brainiac. But that was changeable- until, of course, recently. And though I was aware of the problems of this era, being accosted simply for being an alien…”

“It wasn’t something you prepared for.”

“Correct.” Brainy says. “Experiencing those emotions, for the first time since I left my homeworld…that was not easy. Perhaps it may have been, if I could have shared them with someone who was already vulnerable around me- ideally, your sister. But as you can see now, that is not an option.”

“Well…” Alex starts. “I’m glad you still did. Even if I wasn’t your first choice.”

“As I was not yours as well, in terms of companions, I agree.” Brainy answers, before rising from his chair. “But that was, as you may say, “too much information.”. I should indeed return to my quarters, in order to rest-“

“Wait.”

Alex stops him, holding him back after she gets out of her own seat.

Brainy turns back, looking confused.

“Was this not what you wanted from me?” he asks. “To sleep?”

“Yeah, but…”

Alex has no more words left. She only hugs him, and though he’s startled, he relaxes into the embrace as well.

“Thank you.” He says, still in her arms.

She releases him, after a moment or two, getting the feeling that they’re going to do this a lot more from now on.

“Get some rest, Brainy.” She says.

“Yes, ma’am.” He answers, with a little salute. “Goodnight, Alex.”

“Goodnight.” She repeats.

As she watches him leave, she remembers Kara, in her containment suit but still probably in the process of healing.

She’d wanted to check on her, see if she was finally awake again, and even if she is, for the moment she knows she’s alright on her own, as much as she’d wanted to be there whenever Kara hoped she would be.

Alex is only glad that she was still there, by complete chance, and able to help Brainy when he needed her the most.

Maybe, next week, he’ll end up coming over to Kara’s.

That would be a time.


End file.
